Lakers GM Rob Pelinka addresses lack of trade narrative, reveals exact number of games required to assess current roster
LA Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka recently touched on his team's limited offseason roster movement. He also provided LA's timeline for potentially making a substantial trade during the 2024-25 NBA campaign.
On Wednesday, Pelinka and Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick participated in a media availability session at UCLA Health Training Center. Among the most pressing topics discussed was LA entering this upcoming season with nearly the same roster as last season.
Apart from their 2024 NBA draft picks, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, the Lakers' biggest offseason acquisition was two-way contract center Christian Koloko.
Moreover, according to Redick, he plans to implement the same starting five LA used to close last season. That featured superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and role players D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
Considering that LA finished seventh in the Western Conference (47-35) and only won one 2024 playoff game, many expected Pelinka to be active this summer. However, according to the executive, he remains confident in his squad.
"We believe in this group," Pelinka said Wednesday.
Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Pelinka "added that it will take 30 games or so to properly evaluate what the team has this season."
The Lakers' 30th regular-season contest is scheduled for Dec. 31 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thus, it appears LA's fanbase can expect to wait until early 2025 before possibly seeing its squad make a sizeable trade.
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Rob Pelinka taking long-term approach to Lakers' roster construction
While Rob Pelinka will take around 30 games to evaluate LA's standing in the stacked West, he didn't guarantee he will make a win-now in-season trade.
When asked about his squad potentially relinquishing first-round draft picks to add established talent, Pelinka highlighted his and JJ Redick's long-term focus.
"The philosophy that JJ and I are aligned on is we want to build sustainable Lakers excellence," Pelinka said.
However, he noted that LA's front office "will continue to study and scour the marketplace" for the "right move."
The 2025 NBA trade deadline is scheduled for Feb. 6. Thus, Pelinka should have approximately five weeks to negotiate trades following his 30-game evaluation period.
It's unclear what sort of deal the executive is waiting for or which players he would be willing to give up extensive assets for. Regardless, based on Pelinka's comments, it appears fans will need to exercise patience to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
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